A refrigeration bulkhead is a passive device mounted on the inside front wall of a refrigeration trailer. It generally covers the width of the front wall and has a height either halfway up or fully covering the front wall, thereby covering all or part of a refrigeration unit generally mounted at the upper center portion of the wall. The bulkhead serves two functions. First, it creates a space between the trailer load and the trailer front wall. This space is used to facilitate air movement from the floor of the trailer up the front wall to the refrigeration unit. Through its air intake, the refrigeration unit can remove heat from the air and exhaust the heat to the outside of the trailer. Second, the bulkhead protects the refrigeration unit from fork lifts or other loading devices and their loads.